3 HomeView features that require an iCloud+ subscription – and 3 you can use for free

If Apple's smart home news caught your attention last week and convinced you to buy the new HomeView, you're not alone. It's one of Apple's most exciting launches in years (well, in our opinion) and pre-orders are already underway.

However, not everyone will realise that some HomeView features are locked behind an iCloud+ subscription. That's not unusual, and plenty of other brands do something similar, but it's worth knowing before your wallet becomes £299 lighter.

Below, we've rounded up three features you'll need an iCloud+ subscription to use, alongside three you can enjoy without one. There are plenty more, of course, but these are the ones we think you should know before you buy.

Features that require iCloud+

1. AI-powered camera summaries

With a compatible HomeKit Secure Video camera, Apple Intelligence can summarise recorded activity in the Home app, giving you more useful information than a basic motion alert. Instead of simply telling you that movement was detected, it can describe events such as someone leaving a parcel at your door or a dog wandering into the garden.

2. Search your camera footage using natural language

Rather than scrolling through hours of footage to find a particular moment, you can search using everyday questions. For example, you could ask “Show me when the parcel was delivered” or “When did the children get home?” This makes finding specific events much quicker and more convenient.

3. Searchable video history and AI analysis

Apple's AI camera features can also connect related activity and surface significant moments captured across multiple cameras. However, accessing these capabilities requires a compatible HomeKit camera, an Apple home hub, an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone or iPad to set up the features, and an eligible iCloud+ subscription. Recorded footage is retained for 10 days and doesn't count towards your standard iCloud storage allowance.

Features you can use for free

1. Live camera feeds

You can still view a live feed from a compatible HomeKit camera without paying for iCloud+. That means you can check what's happening at home in real time, even without subscribing to Apple's cloud storage service.

2. Personalised home screens for up to six people

HomeView can recognise up to six household members and show each person their own Home Screen, apps and widgets. Shared photos and music can still be enjoyed by everyone, including guests.

3. Hands-free cooking help

HomeView can turn recipes found online into step-by-step instructions, track ingredients and manage multiple timers by voice. It's a practical kitchen feature that cooks will love, and you can read more about it here.

iCloud+ plans start at £0.99/$0.99 per month for 50GB, rising to £2.99/$2.99 for 200GB and £8.99/$9.99 for 2TB.